Reviving Castro Valley 's winter villages: Using heritage, ecosystem services, and culture to promote a sustainable livelihood in a protected area

Abstract

Most rural areas in Europe evolve towards either intensification or abandonment. Villages in Portugal which are located in remote protected areas tend to be affected by farm abandonment often becoming uninhabited, derelict and exposed to fire hazard and ultimately leading to the loss of cultural landscapes. We developed and applied strategies for intervening in the Castro Laboreiro winter villages, towards a multifunctional landscape based on ecosystem services, heritage and culture. For that purpose we used participatory methods and developed strategies for restocking the wintervilage by defining a set of activities to diversify local economy and improve resilience. Additionally we show how the particular case of village of Pontes can be retrofitted based on its existing resources such as food, energy and water. We further suggest cultural events targeting newcomers and local population to improve social cohesion.